Weber City bridge work nearing completion

GATE CITY — Motorists who travel through Weber City shouldn’t have to wait much longer for the Route 23 bridge replacement project to wrap up.

Joey Mullins and Jackie Christian of VDOT gave an update on that project and several others during last week’s Scott County Board of Supervisors meeting. The bridge construction began in late fall of 2016 and has experienced several weather-related setbacks since then.

“Unfortunately, that one’s been around for a long time, but I’ve been told that we are now looking at around Christmas for the target finish date for that project,” Mullins said. “There will be some paving; depending on weather, that may bleed over into the following year, but we expect that bridge to actually be complete near the end of this year.”

Maintenance

In addition to regular maintenance tasks like pothole patching and mowing, crews have been working on gravel roads to remedy the dusty conditions created by recent dry weather, Mullins said. And though temperatures are still warm, VDOT has already begun preparations for winter.

“We’re filling up salt buildings and getting ready to have snow inspections,” Christian said. “We’ve been signing up contractors to plow snow.”

Projects underway

Mullins said the Route 224 (Wadlow Gap Road) project is nearly complete, and paving in Gate City is underway. When it comes to rural/rustic projects, Christian said Copper Creek Road is “basically finished, except for the last section of it, for surface treatment.”

Crews are now working on a mile-and-a-half stretch of Route 653 (Hunters Valley East) and preparing it for surface treatment, Christian said. VDOT is also preparing to address a large slide on Copperhead Road, which is down to one lane.

“We’re going to start that project within two weeks,” Christian said. “We’ve had to get some special permits; materials had to be ordered, but we’re looking to move in there … within two weeks.”